Lubricated valve



Patented Oct. 16, 1951 LUBRICATED VALVE Frederick Tratzik, Decatur, Ill., assignor to Mueller 00., Decatur, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application February 11, 1946, Serial No. 646,850

4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to lubricated valves.

Objects of the invention are to provide a valve which includes an arrangement to automatically move lubricant to the seating surfaces, will provide an extremely efficient seal in a flow line under pressure, and which may be readily operated even when used with extremely high line pressures.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is an axial section through a valve of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the valve plug, and

Figure 3 is a developed view of the valve casing member seating surface.

Referring to Figure 1, the numeral I designates the valve casing member which is provided with a flow passageway ll including an inlet l2 and an outlet 13. A tapered valve seat bore I i extends transversely of the flow passageway II, the larger end of the seat bore opening to a chamber is which is closed at its outer end by a plate or cap I! secured in position by means of bolts. A gasket may be provided between the plate I! and casing member. A stop block, not shown, may extend upwardly from the plate I? to limit rotation of the valve plug or element through 90.

The smaller end of the seat bore I 4 also extends through the casing member 19 but is closed by a bossed plate 2| secured to the casing by circumferentially spaced bolts 22 such as shown in Figure 1.

of the seat bore 14.

A tapered plug 25 or valve member is mounted in the seat bore M, the plug including a flow port 26. The smaller end of the plug 25 is so formed"- as to cooperate with a similar structure pro- 'vided on the inner end of an operating stem 39.

7 each of which is of V-shaped form. As best shown in Figure2, the cam surfaces 3| are inclined at Plate 2! includes a bore 23 of a smaller diameter than the smaller end 20 an acute angle to a radius of the plug, with their point of greatest depth at the seating surface of the plug.

The cam surfaces 3| extend through an arc of somewhat less than as best shown in Figures 1 and 2 and, at their ends, have shoulders 32 extending upwardl to the flat end surface of the plug so that flats 33, comprising the end surface of the plug, are provided adjacent both ends of each cam surface. Between the flats 33, and midway between the cam surfaces 3|, the plug is provided with recesses or pockets 34. The diametrically opposite cam surfaces 31 and the diametrically opposite recesses 34 are arranged about a circular line concentric with the plug axis.

The radially inner edges of the cams 3| may be defined by a central socket 36 in the plug. The end shoulders 32 of the cam surfaces 3| and the end walls 35 of the recesses 34 lie in planes which lie on the axis of the plug.

The operating stem or element 30 is equipped with two concave, arcuate and V-shaped cam surfaces 38, each of which will normally lie directly opposite the respective plug cam surface 31. As shown in Figure 1, two diametrically opposite projections 39 are integral with the stem 30, these projections and an adjacent cam surface 38 being spaced so that a projection 39 will extend into each recess 34 of the plug. Each projection 39 includes a shoulder at each end thereof and these shoulders lie in planes which lie on the axis of the stem. As is explained in said Bowan and Tratzik application, the projections 39 are of a length circumferentially of the plug which is less than the corresponding dimension of the recesses 34. In this way, the projections 39 have a loose fit with respect to the recesses and circumferentially of the plug and operating element 39. A roller 69 is positioned between each pair of axially opposed cam surfaces 3! and 38, the rollers being of tapered formation to conform to the surfaces of the cams and rounded at their outer ends so-that they will have a single point bearing upon the inner cylindrical surface of a holding ring 4| which fits about the inner end of the operating stem or element 39. The rollers 40 are held in proper position radially of the cam surfaces by the ring 4| and, because the rollers are tapered, no other securing means is required to maintain them in position.

As shown in Figure 1, the operating stem 39 is of reduced diameter at its outer end to provide an outwardly facing shoulder thereon within the bore 23 of bossed plate 2|, and a roller bearing assembly 42 is positioned between this shoulder and a retainer sleeve 43. Retainer sleeve 43 is threaded in the bore 23 of the plate 2! and, at its outer end, is provided with fiat surfaces adapted to be engaged by a suitable wrench. Stem 30 extends outwardly beyond the sleeve 43 and may be squared as indicated at 45 to receive an operating handle or wrench. Sleeve 43 serves to ,hold stem .30 against outward movement.

As best shown in Figure 3, the seating surface Id of the valve casing member I is provided with four C-shaped grooves 46, 41, 48 and 49, respectively. The longitudinally extending portions of these grooves are spaced ninety degrees apart about the seating surface but the free ends of the circumferentially extending portions of each C-shaped groove are spaced from the longitudinal portion of the next adjacent c-shaped groove. It will be observedfrom Figure 3 that the grooves 48 and 48, respectively, enclose the inlet passage i2 and outlet passage 63, and that each passage is equidistantly spaced between the longitudinal portion of two grooves. A groove 50 extends circumferentially of the casing member seat between the larger end of the .seat and the C-shaped grooves. A radial passage extends from the groove 58 to a grease supply fitting chamber diagrammatically indicated at 52 in Figure 1.

As best shown in Figure 2, the valve plug 25 has four arcuate grooves 55 equidistantly spaced about its small end at a point between the small end of the plug and the flow port 26. These grooves are only of sufficient length circumferentially of the plug that they will bridge the corre sponding ends of the C-shaped grooves when the plug is in either open or closed position.

The large end of the plug 25 has four short arcuate grooves 56 equidistantly spaced thereabout at a point between the large end .of the plug and the flow port 25. Two diametrically opposed short grooves 56 have ducts 51 extending therefrom to a circumferential groove 58 which encircles the plug 25 between the ducts 5'6 and the larger end of the plug. It will be observed from Figure 1 that the circumferential grooves 50 and 58 are of such width that they will overlap in any axial position of the plug.

As is best shown in Figure 1, two diametrically aligned passages 59 lead from the plug groove .58 to the inner end of a chamber :60 within the plug. The chamber 60 is a cylindrical and centrally located recess opening to the larger end of the plug and is closed by a piston or impulse member 6! including a packing to form a seal with the sidewalls of the chamber. The outer end of the piston 6| bears upon a hardened steel ball 62 carried in the inner end of a set screw 63 threaded in the cap plate ll. As is shown in Figure 1, a grease packing groove 64 accessible through a small set screw may be provided about the set screw 63 to lubricate the latter.

In the operation of the above device, the plug will be held seated by line pressure flowing from the inlet passage 12 through. a port .65 which opens to the chamber 16 at the largerend of the plug.

In use, the lubricating groove system will be filled with grease by a pressure gun connected to the grease fitting chamber 52, the grease then moving through the radial passage 5| to the opposed circumferential grooves .50 and 58. From the latter, the supply of grease will move through the radial passages 59 to the chamber 66. When the plug is in the closed position illustrated in 4 Figure I, or in full open position, grease will also move through the short passages 51 to the corresponding ducts 56 to fill the C-shaped grooves. Enough grease will be supplied through the grease fitting chamber 52 to entirely fill the groove system as well as the lubricant chamber 50.

When the plug is to be operated, a suitable operating element will be fitted upon the outer end of the operating stem 35 to rotate the latter. As is described in the above mentioned Bowan and Tratzik application, the initial ro tation of the stem 36 will cause the plug to move axially so that it will be slightly unseated. When the plug has been sufficiently unseated to overcome resistance to turning, it will then rotate with the stem 3-3, generally by engagement of the lugs 39 with the side walls 35 of the recesses 34. When the plug is moved axially as has just been described, the inner wall of the lubricant chamber 60, i. e., the upper wall of Figure 1, will be moved toward the piston member 6!. Because the member 6! is held against outward axial movement by set screw 63, movement of chamber with respect to the piston member will cause a high pressure to be exerted upon the lubricant in the chamber 60, thereby forcing additional lubricating to the seating surface of the valve. This additional lubricant will assist the rotation of the plug and will also increase the supply of lubricant on the seating surface to thereby maintain the seating surfaces properly sealed. It will be observed that during the above movement of the plug toward piston member 6!, the plug actually serves as the piston, while piston member Bl acts as a fixed abutment or cylinder wall.

Movement of lubricant from the chamber 60 by the axial movement of the plug just described naturally will result in a loss of lubricant from the chamber. This may be compensated for by rotating the set screw 63 inwardly, thereby forcing the piston 6] against the lubricant in the chamber and maintaining the lubricant in the entire system under proper pressure. It eventually will be necessary to furnish additional lubricant to the chamber 50 through the grease gun fitting supporting chamber 52. When this is done, the set screw .62 may be threaded outwardly to restore the piston 6,! to a position such as is illustrated in Figure 1. Large valves used in high pressure lines are not operated at frequent intervals and a long period of time may pass before the supply of lubricant in the chamber 60 is so reduced as to require replenishment through chamber 52.

It will be observed that the set screw 63 comprises a means for establishing a desired pressure on the lubricant in the system, because by threading screw 63 inwardly, the pressure on the lubricant can be increased to any desired degree.

It will also be noted that a surface of the valve :member, i. e., the inner and radial surface of the lubricant chamber 60, forms a wall portion of the chamber 69 and that an opposed wall portion, 1. e., the inner surface of the piston 61, is fixed with respect to the casing member. In this way, the lubricant is forced to the seating surface grooves by movement of the plug with respect to the casing member.

In order to prevent leakage between the retainer sleeve 43 and the bossed plate 2!, a packing ring 66 of the character described in .the above mentioned Bowan and Tratzik application is provided between these two surfaces. Leakage along the stem 39 is prevented by a packing ring 81 corresponding to that described in said earlier application. As is explained in said application, the ring 66 is of such character that the retainer sleeve. 43 may be slightly backed out to permit some play between the cams 38 and the rollers 40 so that the valve plug may be fully seated, all without permitting leakage past the packing 66.

The terminology used in the specification is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a valve, a casing member provided with a flow passageway and a seat bore, a ported valve member mounted in the seat bore, a lubricant chamber communicating with the seat bore, the chamber being recessed into one end of the valve member, a wall member closing {the outer end of the chamber and arranged to fixedly bear upon an opposed wall of the casing member during movement of the valve member, and an element extending through said opposed wall of the casing member to engage said wall member to move the latter axially into the lubricant chamber, said element being movable with respect to said last-mentioned wall member.

2. A valve of the character described in claim 1 wherein the valve includes a valve member opcrating stem at one end thereof and the lubricant chamber is at the end of the valve member opposite from said end.

3. A valve of the character described in claim 1 wherein the valve includes a valve member operating stem and said stem and the valve member are provided with cooperating means to move the valve member axially upon rotation of said stem, and the lubricant chamber is at the end of the valve member opposite from said cooperating means.

4. A valve of the character described in claim 1 wherein said element is threaded in said opposed wall of the casing member.

FREDERICK TRATZIK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,532,272 Spence Apr. 7, 1925 2,086,946 Rick July 13, 1937 2,169,525 Goldberg Aug. 15, 1939 2,169,810 Mueller Aug. 15, 1939 2,281,697 Kerr May 5, 1942 2,321,233 Mueller June 8, 1943 

